Only A Man
by Marle
Summary: My first songfic! Yah! It's based on Five for Fighting's Superman. Please Read and Review ^_^


hero _Only a Man_

Author Note: I got my own original character mixed in the end so this is sorta one of those Megaman X x Original character romances. Also there's ZeroxIris relationship so if you got anything against that you may not like some parts of this. 

_I can't stand to fly_   
_I'm not that naive_   
_I'm just out to find_   
_The better part of me_

X stood exhausted with Zero next to him as they observed the burnt out Maverick base they had just destroied. Sigma had been defeated, for the millionth time it felt. A period of rest would occur then everything would go back into chaos.   
"THEY DID IT!!!" A reploid soldier yelled. The crowd of soldiers, human and reploid alike roared. Zero turned around slowly, looking back at them. They were covered in debrey and some injured from the battle with minorities.   
"THEY DID IT!!! COMMANDER MEGAMAN X AND COMMANDER ZERO DID IT!!!!" They cried.   
"Heh... We're heros X, how do you feel about that?" Zero asked, turning back to X. The azure warrior's armor was scratched and cracked all over, his arms and legs having injuries all over them. The scarlet soldier also was much like his friend, injured and damaged.   
"Zero!!" A voice called from the crowd. Zero turned to see Iris running up to him. She threw her arms around him, laughing and smiling.   
"You're alive! Thank god!"   
"Iris..." Zero replied, laughing quietly and hugging her back. X still didn't move, just looked at the ruins. 

_I'm more than a bird...I'm more than a plane_   
_More than some pretty face beside a train_   
_It's not easy to be me_

"Zero..." Iris said again, staring at the blond haired wonder before her. Zero sighed and took off his helmate, letting it fall to the earth. His hair was damp with sweat and blood, but it didn't seem to phase him other than the fact it felt good to have air hit his head. Iris smiled at him and hugged him again. She noticed X standing, not even seeming to acknowledge the fact that so many men and women were around him congradulating him on his victory.   
"Hey Zero..." Iris began.   
"What?" He asked, noticing she was looking behing him. Zero turned to see X in the same position he had been previously. "What's his problem?"   
"I don't know..." Iris said, moving from Zero and walking towards X. She placed her hand on his shoulder and held it there for a moment "X?"   
"X what's the matter?" Zero asked as he approached X. When he did, he peered around to see X's face. His head was down and there were tears running down his cheeks. 

_Wish that I could cry_   
_Fall upon my knees_   
_Find a way to lie_   
_About a home I'll never see_

"... X?" Zero asked. X just shook his head, wiping his eyes.   
"I'm sorry..." he said quietly.   
"X? What's the matter?" Zero asked again.   
"Nothing... It's just I get so frusterated sometimes..." X said slowly. "It's not like I enjoy doing this job you know... but I feel like I can't afford to lose" 

_It may sound absurd...but don't be naive_   
_Even Heroes have the right to bleed_

"X..." Zero said, out reaching his arms to X and grasping both his shoulder. "C'mon X, don't do this. You gotta get used to this! It's our duty."   
"X, I know it's hard but we must go on. Someday... Someday this will all be over and we'll be able to laugh at things like these. To look back and see how lucky we were to come back out alive." Iris commented. X shook his head and moved away from Zero and Iris, looking at them both. 

_I may be disturbed...but won't you conceed?_   
_Even Heroes have the right to dream_

"I just want to be able to fight one time... Just ONCE!"   
"What do you mean, X?" Zero asked, raising an eyebrow.   
"Don't you understand Zero? I've been fighting ALL my life! From the time I was a boy as just Megaman to now as I am as X!" he exclaimed. "Just ONCE I'd like to be able to beat the big old bad guy and know I'll never have to face him and his minions again!"   
"X..." Iris said sadly.   
"... Just forget it..." X said, turning away from them, "I'm tired and I want to go home..."   
With that X began to push his way through the mob around him, leaving them, Zero, and Iris behind. 

_It's not easy to be me_

X got up into a jet where the medics inside began to tend to his wounds. In the process his helmat had been removed to treat his head injuries, leaving it the floor next to him. X stared at his helmat, his reflection showing in the red gem on the top, and just looked at himself. On the outside, he looked like a human, on the inside he looked like a robot. He had human emotions and yet he could fight with the limitless power of a robot. What made him so special anyway? So what if he had survived countless encounters with Sigma... so what if Dr. Light had created him... many other reploids could have been in his place... so why was he the special one? 

_Up, up and away...away from me_   
_It's all right...You can all sleep sound tonight_   
_I'm not crazy...or anything..._

"Commander, when you get back to the base I'm sure Doctor Cain will be wanting to get a report from you." The nurse said. X looked at her and shook his head.   
"Tell Doctor Cain I'm fine."   
"But Commander--" she began again   
"I'm fine. Tell Doctor Cain I'm fine. I have to go somewhere when I get back..." X said calmly, leaning back against his chair.   
"Where will you go Commander?" the nurse asked with curiousity.   
"To see someone."   
"You mean ---?" X didn't answer the nurse, he just turned and looked out a window at the blue sky. 

_I can't stand to fly_   
_I'm not that naive_   
_Men weren't meant to ride_   
_With clouds between their knees_

No sooner did X get off the Jet was when he was again swarmed with people, media and soldier alike. He said nothing to no one and just covered his eyes from the flashing lights and managed to block out the numerous questions and shouting at him. Two reploides grabbed him and helped him through the crowed into the building, two others closing the doors behind him.   
"Thank you..." X said quietly to the two reploids who had helped him.   
"No problem Commander." the one replied.   
"Where is Commander Chocola?" X asked, almost shyly. The other reploid blinked and then looked pensive before speaking.   
"I believe I last saw her in the garden, sir."   
"Thank you..."   
"Uh... sir... maybe you should go see Doctor Cain first..."   
"No, thank you anyway." X said, walking off away from the two and down the long hall, past a few soldiers who greeted him as he did. Finally he came to a set of glass double doors that led outside. X tooking in a deep breath and walked through them. Outside was the garden, with many flowers, trees, and a pond in the center in it. The scent of roses in full bloom were in the air along with the daisies, lilacs, and others. X wandered slowly over towards the pond where a large willow tree rested, it's long vines drapped over itself, a few were gently dancing on the surface of the water. His attention turned to a young woman sitting under it. She was in a long white summer dress with no shoes on. Raven black hair fell gracefully on her shoulders and down her back, slightly blowing in the warm breeze. X swallowed hard and walked over to her. 

"Chocola?"   
The woman turned to look up at him. She had sapphire blue eyes that sparkled radiantly and a wave that covered the left side of her face.   
"X!" She exclaimed when she saw him. Chocola began to move to leap up but X quickly said.   
"Please stay down."   
"What?" She asked, moving her head to one side. X smiled at her and kneeled down to her level, placing a hand behind her neck before leaning his forehead against hers.   
"I was worried about you..." She sighed in relief.   
"I know, but I can't let you fight again yet." he said gently. Chocola looked directly into his eyes, looking upset.   
"You're one to talk! You go out into a fight still badly wounded from you last battle!"   
"Alright... you have me there..." X said smiling, before it faded away. 

_I'm only a man in a silly red sheet_   
_Digging for kryptonite on this one way street_

"X?" Chocola asked, looking concerned over his sudden change in mood. X moved back, looking her over slightly "What is it?"   
"Chocola... what do you see when you look in my eyes?" he asked. Chocola shook her head, smiling some but then realized X was serious about his question. She lightly brushed away some of the black strands of hair in his eyes, her face becoming warm and radiant as she observed him. X tried not to blush or even show that she did something to him inside whenever she was with him, but his attempts were in vain. He was hoping for an honoest answer from her. Chocola paused and smiled at him. 

_Only a man in a funny red sheet_   
_Looking for special things inside of me_

"I see a kind, merciful soul. I see a man who has proven himself an honorable and tolerating man. I see myself through the eyes of the man I love and want to spend the rest of eternity with." She replied, her voice growing quiet as she finished. X smiled at her and hugged her tightly.   
"X...?" she asked. Her heart felt as if it stopped when she felt a few hot tears drip onto her shoulder. "X... what--?"   
"I can't stand it..." he said in a huskey voice. "I just can't stand it..." 

_Inside of me..._

"What? What can't you stand, X?" Chocola asked, full of concern. X held her tighter in responds.   
"I can't stand killing... killing for a living..."   
"X..."   
"It's like I'm cursed! I just can't stop it! No matter how hard I want to... I only want to just be able to wake up one day and sit up, not even thinking if I'll have to go fight soon!" X cried, his voice becoming slightly muffled as he buried his face in the curve of her neck. "I'm so afraid I'll fail and everyone I care about will suffer and be killed because I couldn't defend them!"   


_Inside of me..._

Chocola fell silent and just let X cry for a few minutes before gently caressing the back of his head.   
"Listen to me X, you can't expect so much of yourself. There is only so much one person can do." She said gently. X sat there for a moment then lifted his head up and looked at her for a moment.   
"You know, I keep telling myself that but it's not registering." he stated.   
"Maybe because you're trying to hard." she replied with a smile.   
X looked at her and slightly tilted his head to one side, thinking about what she just said. He was only one person, and even if he was 'Megaman X' he still was just a single person. Zero had often nagged at him for being a softy and telling him that he needed to handle things differently in order to make himself stronger as far as emotionally goes. But then again in the eyes of many, Zero was a self centered person, which X knew wasn't true. Iris changed Zero in that sense that he seemed to care more. Sure he had always cared about his job but never really much else besides himself and X. With Chocola, she was like Zero in the way that she was very bold and had a commanding presence to her. She was beautiful, graceful, but had a bite to her. Chocola was not one to get angry, she had a mean temper though most of the time she was calm. With a twist of beautiful irony, X had fallen for her at some point or another. 

_Inside of me..._

"I wonder... what people see in me though. I'm not anything special."   
"That's another part where you're wrong." Chocola said, putting her finger on the tip of his nose, making him look at it and go slightly cross eyed. She laughed and stood up slowly, wobbling as she did. "You're a very special person."   
"How so?" X asked, moving to his feet.   
"Well..." Chocola began, slightly limping as she walked, "You're kind... caring... loving... dispite all you've been through you still keep an open heart to those in need."   
"Eh... I think I've lost it once or twice." X admitted.   
"Maybe so, but you still know how to feel. You can cry still."   
"A baby can also cry, Chocola." X sighed, walking turning away from her and folding his arms. Chocola frowned and walked up behind him.   
"X... if you're implying you're a baby then you're wrong about that. You're a beautiful person X... just stop and look at yourself." she said sliding her arms around his waist. X looked back over his shoulder at her.   
"Are you just saying that because you're in love with me?"   
"No, I'm saying it because it's true." 

_Inside of me..._

X smiled and put his hands on hers. A strange feeling of comfort came from her embrace, perhaps knowing that she was there helped him. He never thought of it much, but from time to time X was lonely. It wasn't until Zero met Iris that he realized just how lonely he was. He recalled a night when he was walking home and saw Zero and Iris infront of the entrance to the building. They were in each others arms, laughing quietly with one another as the spoke softly. Then he watched Zero kiss her, not just any kiss, a loving passionate kiss. It made X wonder. 

Then Chocola came along, at first he wasn't too sure of her, but then as he got to know her he found out she was a wonderful woman. He remembered when she first kissed him. They were in the information lab, researching up on some suspected maverick activity when it happend. She was about to leave when she took him off guard and kissed him quickly on the lips and left without a word. He didn' t see her for about three days after that until he met up with her later and talked to her about it. That was when she admitted to having feelings for him, true feelings. X knew he couldn't return them though. That was one thing on his mind always, he wasn't about to leave someone behind to wait for him when he might not come home. Though, he decided to be nice to her at least. However, after a few times of going out with her for coffee and to some of the partys at Headquaters he was in love. Of course once Zero found this out, X thought he'd never hear the end of it. 

_I'm only a man in a funny red sheet_   
_I'm only a man looking for a dream_

"What do you want in life, X?" Chocola asked, softly letting her lips brush his earlobe. X took a moment and thought about the question at hand. Finally he came up with a simple answer.   
"I want to be at peace. I want to be able to never have to use my buster again. I also want to spend my life with you." X said casually. Chocola grinned and slightly tickled his stomache, making him laugh and fidget out of her grasp. She laughed and leaped into X's arms, gently knocking them both over into a bed of flowers.   
"Oops!" she exclaimed, slightly grasping at her side. X gently placed his hand over hers   
"You see? You need to take care of yourself better! You'll be out of battle longer!" he said in a caring, yet also teasing tone. Chocola stared at him.   
"I know that." she said, looking away from him. X laughed and hugged her closely, looking up at the blue sky. Chocola laughed quietly and laid her head on X's chest. He gently caressed the back of her head lovingly, just enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. It felt so good, here he was, laying in a bed of flowers with the woman he loved resting on his chest. He felt content for a moment, enough so that he closed his eyes. 

_I'm only a man in a funny red sheet_   
_And it's not easy..._

"X...?" Chocola said quietly. X didn't reply. She sat up some and looked at him. He was soundly asleep beneith her, a peaceful look on his face. Chocola smiled and moved to rest her head on his chest again.   
"Rest well, my love." she whispered as she joined him in their own peaceful void of sleep. 

_It's not easy to be me._   
  



End file.
